


no❤✨

by jalawala



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: #saveplagg2k20, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Bashing, Adrien salt, Alya Césaire Bashing, Alya Salt, Anyways, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, CHAT NOIR IS OOC, Caline Bustier Bashing, Classmates Bashing (Miraculous Ladybug), F/M, Gen, I dont know what to tag, IDENTITY SHENANIGANS, Identity Reveal, Kagami Deserves Better, LITERALLY, Lila sucks, Maybe - Freeform, Plagg is suffering, REALLY BIG adrien salt, SIKE, Salt, Saltinette, Supportive Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), Very OOC, adrien a lil bitch, adrien deserves my fist in his face, adrien is literally insane, but a little behind, but fuck adrien, chat noir gone rogue, class, class salt, eventually, hawkmoth a lil bitch but even he has his moments, i didnt plan that far ahead, i hate him, i literally suck at writing, is literally so embarassing, its complicated, kindve a crackpost because i dont know what im doing, like its crazy, literally wrote the first chapter in like 15 minutes bruh, luka deserves better, marinette is so badass wow, marinette is so done, master fu is kinda a flake, me knowing ill do like 3 chapters and be done, nino a lil pussy but he lwky vibing, no im so serious this fic, not really but she sucks so i had to put that, ok let me stop this it too much, old fic lol idk how to private this, sabine and tom are sweet, step on me literally, sucks, theres too many tags omg, unless???, waiting for ao3 to add the hide feature, we'll never know...., will he work with hawkmoth???
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 08:00:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24846457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jalawala/pseuds/jalawala
Summary: Ladybug is tired. Ever since Chat Noir's apparent refusal in cooperation with protecting Paris, she's been kept on her toes with seemingly no off time.With Lila's constant berating in class and Adrien's ever-present reminder of ''Taking the high road'', she has had enough.She's slowly breaking down with no one taking notice;well as far as she knows.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, adrienette is NOT romantically though, adrigami is going to be a hotmess jesus fuck send prayers to kagami yall, lukanette is a possibility
Comments: 87
Kudos: 386
Collections: pain





	1. bitchy kitty

Marinette flopped down onto her bed as she called off her transformation. Another late night akuma, and yet another day without Chat Noir's help.

''Tikki, these attacks are getting more difficult as the days pass,'' Marinette huffed out with exhaustion seeping through her core. She moved her dilated gaze from her ceiling to the small god munching on a cookie. 

The kwami looked at her pitifully as she finished her treat, ''Oh Marinette, I know, Hawkmoth is only getting stronger as the days pass.'' She sighed softy. 

Her holder only blinked in response as a grimace formed on her face. ''I just don't understand why things have to be this way; we could've been the dream team, Tikki. I thought we were supposed to be in sync during out partnership, I thought we were like... two halves of a whole.'' Marinette's face scrunched up at just the mention of her ex-partner. He was supposed to always be there for her, right? 

Its been two weeks since their argument. Right after an interview with Nadja Chamack, Ladybug had confronted Chat Noir about his inappropriate behavior towards her and distastefully implied remarks. ''It's uncalled for and makes me incredibly uncomfortable, Chat, you know this!'' She started, obvious exasperation within her demeanor. Chat Noir simply rolled his eyes at her and picked at his claws with a smirk, ''You know we're meant to be, M'lady. We're soulmates for God's sake, why're you being so sensitive?'' he had the nerve to scoff at her. 

Ladybug simply gaped at him, trying to soak in his words. ''You-You stupid cat!'' she exclaimed while trembling with anger. How could he be so arrogant, as if her feelings didn't matter? 

Chat Noir simply lifted his gaze up at her, a sparkle of mischief taking place in his forest green eyes. ''What?'' he questioned, with faux innocence present in his voice. '' It's true isn't it? The Black Cat and Ladybug holders are destined to be together; it's a known fact.'' His essence of superiority only seemed to piss Ladybug off even more, if that was even possible.

''I like someone else.'' Ladybug affirmed coldly. ''No matter how many times I reject your advances or gross implications, you just keep on going. Has anyone ever told you no?'' Chat Noir continued to look at her with a bored manner, seemingly not caring about what Ladybug had to oppose about their ''fate''. ''We're not meant to be, will never be meant to be, and it stays at that.''

''And another thing-'' before she could continue he cut her off. ''Okay, okay, okay, I get it. Why don't you let me take you on a date? Show you what I have to offer,'' he grinned cheekily as he flexed his muscles, actively avoiding Ladybug's glare directed at him. 

''No thank you, Chat Noir.'' she said, apathetically. He huffed in annoyance and side-eyed her until he lit up with an idea. Chat Noir crossed his arms and pouted at Ladybug, ready to spew out more bullshit to land a date. 

''How about this, M'lady, if you don't go on a date with me, I'll give up my Miraculous! You can't protect Paris without me!'' She deadpanned at him as he gave her a smug expression. He really thought he won, hadn't he?

''Then so be it, hand over your Miraculous and I'll deliver it to the master.'' his face fell and was quickly replaced with a scowl. Ladybug held out her hand expectantly, eyebrows arched in a questioning manner. 

''So that's it? You'd rather Paris fall without me on defense, just because you don't want to go on a date with me? How selfish of you,'' He spat out tauntingly. The heroine kept her expression blank as she sighed. 

'' I'm asking you- no, demanding you, to renounce your Miraculous. If you'd rest the safety of Paris on solely whether I'd go on a date with you, then you aren't taking this job seriously.'' She explained curtly, leaving no room for interruptions or argument.

Ladybug slowly advanced on him. Chat Noir backed up and fixated her with a feral glint in his eyes. He called on his Cataclysm with a whisper barely audible. Ladybug watched as he got into a crouched position on the roof they were currently on. ''One step closer and the whole building goes down'' he sneered with a curl of his lips. She was taken back by the threat, what other surprises did he have up his sleeve? 

''You wouldn't dare,'' Ladybug glowered at him with disbelief etched on her face. A look of hesitance flashed his gaze before a spiteful expression over took his features. 

''Watch me.'' he responded pithily. He shot his hand down to the surface of the roof. Ladybug was frozen in bewilderment as cracks in the cement were appearing, stemming from the heathens gloved hand. After getting past the 5 seconds of shock, she sprung into action and crashed into the 2nd floor window of the house. 

Already familiar with the residence from a recent akuma attack, she rounded up the two children and mother and practically tossed them outside at a safe proximity from the deteriorating house. The children sobbed into their mother's chest as their mother whispered a broken 'Thank you' to the heroine. 

Ladybug cast her Lucky Charm then threw it into the air; millions of ladybug's swept the family's previously destroyed house. She two-fingered saluted to them and took her leave with her yo-yo. 

She searched for him at their meetup locations, no sign nor trace of him anywhere. Ever since that pivotal night, he hasn't let himself be spotted by Ladybug. 

That damn cat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bruh moment


	2. dumbass alert

The next morning, the alarm in Marinette's bedroom blared Adrien's perfume ad. 'Radiant, carefree, dreamy. Adrien, the fragrance.' Marinette murmured softly along with the advertisement playing on her phone. Content with her choice of waking up, she flipped her duvet off her pajama clad body and slid off of her bed.

''Morning, Tikki.'' Marinette announced groggily to her miniature fairy friend as she stretched. Tikki rubbed at her bleary eyes with her red stubs.

''Good morning Marinette!'' She took note of the fact that her holder woke up early for the first time in _months_. That new alarm was a wonderful idea on her part, she silently praised herself as Marinette undressed and changed into her choice of clothes.

It really wasn't anything new, as far as Tikki could tell. Everyone at Dupont wore the same outfit everyday, and to be frank, Tikki wasn't sure as to why that became a normal occurrence. Nonetheless, Marinette's daily outfit was clearly put together beautifully. The grays and pinks complimented each other in ways the Kwami didn't know was possible.

''Are you alright, Tikki?'' The teen noticed her little friend's lack of conversation, she was usually bursting with questions and forms of endearment.

''Oh! Yes, I was just thinking.'' Tikki quickly replied. No need to worry her holder over nothing.

Marinette gave the kwami a curious glance, but got back to tying up her hair into her regular hair style; pigtails. As she passed by her computer monitor a sigh full of adoration left her lips, her monitor really was a sight for sore eyes. A picture of Adrien from her favorite photoshoot, adorned with hearts edited onto the image. Her lack of attention to where she was walking ended up with her tripping over the chaise.

Tikki flitted over to where Marinette was sprawled onto the floor. A groan left her mouth as she untangled her limbs from the thick blanket that was previously on the chaise. A small grin replaced the concern on Tikki's face.

''And I thought today would actually go smoothly,'' Marinette whined in agitation. Tikki gave her a look of sympathy with a hint of amusement still evident on her adorable features. What was she going to do with her lovesick holder?

''Don't say that! Some of that Ladybug luck will come in handy today, I'm sure of it!'' Marinette's face warmed at the encouragement from her kwami. Her mother's sudden yell ruined the moment.

''Marinette! Someone's here to see you!'' Huh. Tikki was under the impression that everyone had some sort of vendetta against her holder. Her classmates were practically wrapped around that liar's little finger, so why'd they come to see Marinette if Lila spoke so bad about her? So many questions yet-

''Marinette! Don't make me come up there, young lady!''

Tikki's thoughts were cut short as Marinette swiped her out of the air with a brief ''Sorry!'' and slid her into her purse. She sped down the stairs, careful to avoid tripping in the fashion she does almost _every_ morning.

Despite her efforts, her foot slipped on the last step. She braced herself for the inevitable greeting from the tiled floor, yet, it never came.

Her forearms were held up by someone's firm grasp. Marinette let out a sigh of relief and glanced up at her savior. She was met with her mother's despondent expression, a look she's only seen once before, when her papa's father refused in coming to the bakery. Sabine kept her gaze on her but her searching eyes broke off from Marinette's doe-like orbs when a choked out sob was heard from behind them.

Marinette winced at the familiarity of the sound, how could she not? It sounded awfully like-

''Lila,'' -speak of the devil. ''Sweetie, what's wrong?''

Her mother's concern filled her with guilt. Would she believe whatever lie Lila would pull out of her ass? Would one of her only sanctuaries away from the chaotic mess she calls her life, her own mother, _**hers**_ , succumb to Lila's sweet nothings? Marinette internally groaned at the mere thought.

Her mother rubbed soothing circles on Lila's back as she hiccuped with fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Marinette would've honestly believed it if it weren't for the fact that Lila was Lila ™.

''Oh Madame Cheng! It's just that-'' she took a deep breath to collect herself, ''-I've come here to accompany Marinette to school!'' she let out another sob, ''But just the sight of her brings me back to traumatic memories sometimes....'' Marinette let out a strangled scream. Traumatic memories?! What traumatic memories? She'll show her traumatic memories!

Her mother looked back at her with confusion, however Marinette paid her no mind. Her gaze was fixated on the sneer taking place on Lila's face as Sabine's head was turned towards Marinette. She glared at Lila and then she broke into more sobs, her mother sending her a look that seems to have said 'I got this handled'.

Huh. Maybe she wasn't as screwed as she thought?

''Lila, dear, what traumatic memories have you associated with my Marinette?'' Sabine questioned with a gentle voice.

Nevermind.

Lila displayed faux timidness and apprehension on her features. She stared at her feet as she spoke with a softness you'd have to strain to hear, ''You see Madame Cheng, Marinette has been bullying me since I transferred to Dupont. I've tried my hardest to become friends with her, but she's so set on making my school life miserable. She won't even leave my boyfriend, Adrien Agreste, alone! She always touches him and makes him uncomfortable.'' Marinette's jaw dropped. There was **_no_** way this was happening. In her own home? Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. She opened her mouth to go against every single one of Lila's incredulous claims, but her mother beat her to it.

''Oh my, I didn't know Marinette was capable of such despicable things. I'll make sure to have a long talk with her. Thank you for informing me, Lila.'' Marinette search for any trace of insincerity in her mother's voice, but couldn't find any. She felt her mood dampening more and more as the conversation progressed.

Lila gnawed at her lip as an act of trepidation, and seemed to be debating on what she should say next. Here it goes, her final blow to Marinette's reputation. She severely doubted that Lila didn't tell this exact sob story to their classmates. ''There's one more thing....'' Lila trailed off ''...Marinette has gotten physical with me in the past. I have bruises and marks to prove it.'' Lila had the nerve to whimper, as if she was some wounded animal. Marinette was **_livid_** and was practically vibrating in her place.

''What-'' her mother started, complete disbelief evident in her voice.

'' ** _What?!_** '' Marinette exclaimed.

Lila slowly rolled up her sleeves and gestured to the horrifying blues, yellow, and purples present on her arms. Marinette paled at the sight. Her reputation was now completely demolished. There was no coming back from this! No one would believe her and she'd get sent to jail for decades and end up as a lonely drug addict who-

''Marinette! Is this true?'' her mother snapped to her attention.

This was her chance, if she got her mother on her defense then she wouldn't be completely ruined!

''Of course not Maman! You don't really believe her, do you? I haven't even _touched_ Chloe let alone Lila. You know I'd never get physical!'' Excluding her nightly escapades as heroine of Paris, of course. Marinette's attempt at defending herself seemed to rile Lila up even more. She sobbed harder as Sabine consoled her.

''Lila why don't you come back another time when you've calmed down? I don't want you to endure any more memories of these terrible occurrences.'' Lila sniffled and nodded her head with great solemnity; through her tear-stricken face.

Sabine led her to front door of the bakery and wished her a good day at school.

As soon as the door shut she turned towards her daughter. Marinette prepared herself for the inescapable yelling and reprimanding that would go down. The day hadn't even begun, and she was already in trouble that she hadn't caused!

''Dear, my sweetest, most lovable child, what the _**fuck** _have you gotten yourself in to?''

Well shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i deadass frgt tom existed,,,,, lets just pretend he was sleeping. the whole time. even though hes a baker jsjsjsssajkdh
> 
> this chapter didnt really go how i wanted, was planning on sabine being kept in the dark for longer but i guess ill leave it at this for now¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	3. school's for fools

Plagg glanced wearily at the door his holder was behind. How did everything go downhill so quickly?

That old man should've never picked his current holder. All the responsibility, honor, and prestige that came with the Black Cat mantle has been corrupted and tarnished. From what he could tell, his cat has been abusing his power just to pick up pretty girls. Poor Ladybug.

Ever since that Lila girl showed up, Adrien has taken an interesting turn in character. Plagg truly didn't know what it was that made whatever facade his holder was portraying snap. Maybe Lila's ability to get whatever she pleases? Guilt trips to earn the pity of others? At least now, Adrien's _true_ colors are making way. God, Plagg's bad luck sure was making itself known.

''Plagg! Come here!'' Adrien demanded curtly.

His train of thought halted as he phased through the bathroom door. What was it that his poor excuse of a holder wanted now? Plagg hid his disgust and asked in the most civil voice he could muster, ''My liege, what is it that you require of me?'' Adrien grunted in amusement.

''Shut it, we both know you don't really mean that.'' he rolled his eyes as he continued to play with his fringe.

''Anyways, what do you suppose I do with my hair? I want something flirty, but not _too_ flirty. If I want Kagami to take notice I need to do something different.'' Plagg gritted his teeth at how matter-of-factly Adrien sounded. As soon as he gets told off by a girl, he jumps to another? Pathetic.

''Don't you still have a thing for spots? I didn't take you as the type to move on so fast,'' Plagg scoffed, bafflement crystal clear in his voice.

Adrien simply gave a coy look to his kwami before he indulged into his game plan.

''- so basically, I'll be using Kagami as a side for my Bugaboo to get jealous!'' he finished with triumph.

Plagg's gape turned into a deep frown as he opened his mouth to speak; was this kid crazy? Toying with someone else's feelings? For his own selfish gain? He was going to vomit.

''And! Before you ask, no, I'm not going to be revealing my identity to Bugaboo. But I know she has a crush on civilian me. She mentioned it accidentally on one of our patrols. Once she sees me dating Kagami, she'll come running back to Chat Noir.'' he smirked to himself, clearly content with his plan on wooing ''his lady''.

''What do you suggest will happen between you and Kagami, when you _supposedly_ win over pigtails? You're just going to forget she exists? Kagami has feelings, Adrien!'' Plagg thought he was going to burst with anger. He always got the dumb ones, but this? This was a whole new level.

Adrien seemed to think for a minute, contemplating his options. Plagg glowered expectantly, an ounce of hope left in him, hoping that maybe _just_ maybe, Adrien would realize how stupid his plan was.

''I'll just say it was a mistake. I mean, it's not like she'd actually expect to have a shot with me, right? I'm _the_ Adrien Agreste. I don't settle for second rate partners; Ladybug is the only one for me.'' he smiled condescendingly at Plagg.

 **What**.

**The**.

_**Hell**_.

Before Plagg could destroy Adrien's means of self preservation, a shout from the hallway outside Adrien's bedroom rang out.

''Adrien, you'll be late to school if you don't leave soon.'' a stoic voice announced.

His holder took one last look at himself in the mirror and winked at his reflection. Plagg darted into Adrien's school bag as he settled it on his shoulder.

''Thank you, Nathalie.'' Adrien responded appreciatively. At least he respected _some_ people around here.

As he was carried via bag into Adrien's limo, Plagg continued with his previous train of thought.

Just how will he escape from his unworthy holder?

\-----------------------------------------------------------

Adrien slid out of the limo and thanked his chauffeur, or Gorilla as he liked to call him; he never really did catch his name after all these years. He ran up the steps of Dupont and was stopped in his tracks by none other than Lila Rossi.

There wasn't any bad blood between them per se, but that didn't stop him from getting fidgety around her. She gazed up at him with a look some would describe as seductive, but to Adrien, it just looked idiotic.

''Adrien, it was terrible!'' she sobbed into his shirt. Gross. ''What was terrible Lila?'' he was genuinely curious, even though she was a liar, her feelings were still important!

''It was Marinette! I went to her parents' bakery today to walk her to school, but I couldn't bare the reminders of all the horrible things she's done to us!'' _us_? What things had Marinette done to him?

Alya strolled over to Lila with her entourage in tow, a concerned expression etched on her features.

''Lila what happened?!'' Alya exclaimed with worry. Adrien side-eyed her suspiciously, maybe this was one of her lies?

Lila seemed to have blanked for a moment before going on a tangent about her running into Marinette that morning and how the confrontation progressed. Adrien had to give it to her, she legitimately looked to be in distress.

''-and Madame Cheng suggested I leave to cool down.'' she finished with an output of breath.

''That was really brave of you, Lila!'' Alya praised her for telling an adult about Marinette's plain disdain with her.

''Madame Cheng is really sweet....'' Mylene added, ''-I wonder how Marinette turned out the way she is'' she mused. The rest of the group snorted and murmured about her observation as Lila sent a grateful look her way.

''I thought we knew Marinette, but she's just like Chloe.'' It might've concerned Adrien how sure of herself Alya sounded if it weren't for the fact that Lila's lies weren't hurting anyone.

Yes, Adrien was confident that whatever Marinette had coming for her, she could deal with it.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Lila hung off Adrien's arm as the group walked to Mme. Bustier's classroom. He was greeted with a nod and fist bump from Nino as he strolled over to the back of the classroom. Adrien took his seat as Mme. Bustier proceeded to take roll call.

The teacher's eyes roamed over the class, appearing to look for something, or someone. Adrien wondered for what it could be.

''Has anyone seen Marinette this morning?'' she questioned with a lilt.

Adrien looked to his side and realized she wasn't in her seat.

A cluster of whispers broke out at the mention of her name. Everyone heard about what Lila had said earlier that day about the confrontation, what could've happened to Marinette after?

Lila let out a rather loud breath of relief, _that,_ got everyone to turn their heads. She, noticing the attention with faux embarrassment, was quick to explain herself.

''Oh! It's just that, I'm glad she hasn't shown up today. Last week after school, she got rather physical....'' She trailed off with tears forming at her eyes as her expression formed into uneasiness.

The whole class went silent, you could hear a pin drop.

'' _ **What**_. **Did**. **You**. **Say**?'' Alix broke out, anger dripping off her words.

Lila paled, thinking her deadly stare was targeted at her. ''She cornered me in the bathroom. She said something about being jealous of Adrien and I, I tried reasoning with her but then she just started throwing punches!'' she seemed to be trembling as her lower lip quivered.

The class full of idiots must've gotten over the apparent shock because as soon she finished, all hell broke loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why does every scene involving lila end up with crying sjsadkahwgfliae  
> i swear next time ill make her some like,,,,evil super villain  
> anyways, please let me know if there's any mistakes! Writing isn't really my strong suit if you couldn't tell, so im open to suggestions nd such : )


	4. you lowkey bro? you lowkey?

Alya was nestled under her fuzzy purple comfortable as she glanced at the multiple tabs opened on her laptop. She was browsing the web for varieties of information, you know, the good stuff.

Things ranging from research on Ladybugs, **Ladyblog** drafts, Buzzfeed quizzes, and some........... _questionable_ sites.

Alya backtracked to her activities from just moments ago as she snuggled deeper into her bed.

She hung out with her best friend, Lila, and boyfriend, Nino. They went to Andre's Ice Cream parlor to enjoy some ice cream together, but it ended up with herself and Nino comforting Lila as she cried.

It was terrible, really. Andre told Lila that he just _couldn't_ give her any ice cream scoops. It left Lila sputtering and Alya demanding why.

He tried to pass off some ''She doesn't have a soulmate! There's no love in her heart!'' _bullshit_. It was tiring enough having her ex-best friend trying to ruin her current best friend's life, but some man in his forties dictating her love life? Denying her the right of enjoying ice cream? She was having none of it!

She threatened to tarnish his business by posting about it on her blog, Andre's eyes widened, realizing her intentions.

His face seemed to lose all it's emotion as he stiffly scooped out 'Coconut Ash' from his stand and placed it into a cone.

Lila frowned at the cone filled with black ice cream but took it from his weak grasp, content with getting her share of sweets. She sent a cheery smile to Andre and waved farewell.

She and Nino walked Lila to her small apartment; she informed them that her _big_ mansion was currently being in use for a party. They sympathized, even though the couple knew they wouldn't ever be able to relate.

The remaining two kissed goodbye and went their separate ways home- well, before Nino grabbed her shoulder gently.

She swiveled around, eyebrows raised at the unanswered question hanging in the air, her boyfriend looked nervous.

''Alya, babe,'' he started ''what you did back there....wasn't cool.'' he finished with uncertainty inscribed onto his guise.

Wasn't cool? What wasn't cool? Her standing up for her best friend's honor?

She simply gaped at him as her mouth opened and closed, not knowing how to respond.

Panic flashed over Nino's face, ''I mean! It was like, _totally_ rad and badass of you but, threatening to ruin his source of like, income? Not cool dudette, not cool.''

Alya felt her blood boil at his words, she thought she knew her boyfriend. How much more pathetic could he be?

Nino seemed to notice her hackles rising as he began to massage her shoulders, an attempt to calm her down. She slapped his hands away with rage bubbling off her demeanor, no way she's letting him soften her up.

''If you can't support me for doing the right thing then...'' she paused to evaluate her next set of words, ''....then maybe we should take a break.''

Her boyfriend blinked at her in disbelief, serves him right!

''I- _what_?'' Nino choked out. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea on her part.

''You heard me. If you want to get in the way of my _necessary_ actions, then maybe you should just leave.'' Nino's face seemed to dim more and more as she continued.

He gave one last look at her, it was filled with so much emotion, but she couldn't pinpoint which ones they were.

Alya pressed her lips into a thin line to prevent herself from showing any kind of remorse. She couldn't back down now.

Nino slowly backed away, unsure if he should break eye contact or keep his eyes trained on her. She watched his retreating form until it became almost impossible to be seen.

And now here she was, currently in her bed sheets, trying to ignore the recurring question that kept making rounds in her brain.

_Had she done the right thing?_

Whether she regrets her choice of words is unimportant, all that matters now is a good night's rest. Well, it did, until she heard a booming voice outside her apartment.

'' _ **I AM LE MARURIER, MATCHMAKER OF PARIS. I REFUSE TO SERVE ICE CREAM TO CANDIDATES WITH NO LOVE IN THEIR HEARTS. LADYBUG HAND OVER YOUR MIRACULOUS, OR THE CONSEQUENCES WILL BE LESS THAN MAGNANIMOUS!**_ ''

Ladybug's groan could be heard all throughout Paris.

Oops.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, She might've felt a little bad, _just_ a little. But her reasoning was still valid. She'd stick up for Lila no matter the consequence.

And besides, today was a new day! Filled with new opportunities and new information to absorb.

She glanced at her phone to check on the time, _19:30 am_ , she could work with that. A new notification flashed on her screen ** _im sorry babe_**. She paused for a moment, thinking of a possible response before swiping it up, opting to leave it to be added onto the wall of texts Nino had sent her throughout the night. That was a problem future Alya could deal with.

She changed out of her pajamas and shimmied into her pale blue jeans. Her closet was filled with plaid shirts ranging from casual to formal. She chose her favorite one and put it on with practiced ease.

Alya took a last look at her attire from a mirror pegged in the wall and slid her phone into her back pocket. The events of last night's akuma still lingering.

She grabbed her bag and sped out of her room. There wasn't anything filling in the fridge, so she grabbed a plain apple. As she bit into her apple her little sister's gave her weird looks.

''What?'' she demanded. Was there something on her face?

The twins side-eyed each other, having an internal conversation with each other.

Etta spoke up, ''Anansi told us you were having a fight with Nino!'' she exclaimed with excitement.

_Anansi told them what_? _How would she know_?

Ella added on, ''Yeah! She told us not to mention it but we're just _soooooooooooo_ curious, what happened?''

God, her sisters were a handful.

''Nothing, really'' Alya responded dully. No need to feed into their need for drama.

They both pouted as their older sister rolled her eyes at them.

''Stop that. Anyways, I'll be off to school.'' She reprimanded them before she kissed their cheeks. They stuck their tongues out at her as she grinned at their displeasure.

At the door she spared one last look at her apartment as she called out to her siblings currently in the kitchen, ''And make sure to tell Anansi I'll be watching out for her!''

Etta and Ella snickered at her empty threat.

Alya was sure today would be a good day, granted a little awkward between her and her boyfriend. But nonetheless, great.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All the girls were crowded around Lila as she appeared to be.........crying? Alya could here faint hiccuping and sniffling.

What'd Marinette do this time?

She hurried up the stairs of Dupont and made her way into the center of the mob. She nodded at her classmates to give them a bit of space, they took a few steps back from the pair. But before she could open her mouth, Lila rushed her way out of the circle. Alya's lips parted in confusion, but soon understood what was happening as she ran to Adrien.

She knew she needed comfort from her boyfriend, Adrien, before she explained what happened to her friends.

Watching the two of them converse, she realized just how great they looked together. There was a time when Alya had tried to make the Adrienette ship sail, but now that Marinette's true colors have made way, she wouldn't dare try getting Adrien to deal with her mess of an ex-best friend.

Alya felt it would be an appropriate time to approach the couple, so she along with the rest of the girls in Bustier's class strolled over to where they stood.

''Lila what happened?'' She questioned worryingly. She knew how fragile Lila was, whoever did this would be getting payback with her fists.

Lila explained to her and the rest about the confrontation she had with Marinette's mom about her daughter.

Alya knew about the situation, it's what led her into dropping their friendship. Whatever kindness Marinette showed her at the beginning of the year turned into jealousy when Lila showed up.

''That was really brave of you, Lila!'' She cooed at her best friend. It really was an impressive feat, going to your bully's mother? Smart.

''Madame Cheng is really sweet...'' she hear Mylene trail off, ''-I wonder how Marinette turned out the way she is.''

Alya openly laughed at that, who knew their bite-sized classmate could be so shady? Definitely not her!

The rest of the girls laughed along with Alya, though Alix seemed to be...... _uncomfortable_. Huh. She'd ask her about that at a later time.

She noticed Lila gazing at her expectantly, she'd better add her two cents.

''I thought we knew Marinette, but she's just like Chloe.'' The others nodded along with her statement.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The group, plus Adrien, walked to class together. Alya was the first to enter, actively avoiding eye contact with Nino. He seemed to do the same, as he opted into greeting Adrien instead.

She observed as Adrien walked to the back of the classroom, her now realizing she'd have to sit next to her boyfriend.

**damnit**.

She gave Lila a quick hug before she hesitantly slid into the seat to the right of Nino.

''Hey.....'' she greeted awkwardly.

''Hey.'' he responded wearily.

It was just the two of them.

Alya Cesaire

and

Nino Lahiffe

The air grew more and more suffocating as the silence stretched.

She messed up.

There was no denying it.

They were snapped back to attention as Mme Bustier called for someone.

''Has anyone seen Marinette this morning?'' Alya was glad for the distraction, she wasn't sure she could handle the tension anymore.

Everyone around them started whispering about where Marinette could be. Alya had to admit, she was curious too. But for Lila's sake, she was happy.

Speaking of Lila, a sigh left her lips that spelled relief in all caps. Alya turned her head towards Lila, and she noticed the rest of the class do the same.

She looked to be embarrassed at the attention before clarifying herself.

''Oh! It's just that, I'm glad she hasn't shown up today. Last week after school, she got rather physical....'' she trailed off reluctantly.

Marinette got rather **what**?

Why wasn't she told this? Why hadn't Lila told her last night? Was it because Nino was there? She supposed that explained it.

The class went silent, even Chloe was left in shock.

'' _ **What**_. **Did**. **You**. **Say**?'' Alix broke the silence, anger dripping off her words. Alya was relieved she wasn't the only one upset by this.

Lila shrunk at Alix's demeanor. God, Alya just wanted to reach out and hug her as tears formed at Lila's eyes. She didn't deserve any of this. She swore as soon Marinette was in her sight-

''She cornered me in the bathroom. She said something about being jealous of Adrien and I, I tried reasoning with her but then she just started throwing punches!'' Lila rushed out trembling.

She

Was

**_Fuming _ **

Her classmates must've had her same train of thought because as soon as Lila finished, the previous silence erupted into yelling and screaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didnt want alya to seem yk.....completely flat. did yall like how i tied the akuma attack mentioned in chapter one to this??? newayzzzz for the people who stuck around this long, thank u <3 im rlly just experimenting with this story and it means a lot that yall are reading it and commenting nd such :]


	5. my mans tom in the crib

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tom is so nice and sweet and dumb as shit but we love him for it
> 
> also fuck lila

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys
> 
> i know its been like uhhh fuckin uhhhh 3 months since i last updated but hi im back and god so help me i will finish this fic 
> 
> probably
> 
> maybe
> 
> hopefully.
> 
> also did any of yall get sucked into the maribat fandom too? i live off that shit especially izzybelledot's marie kanté-chiến series + literally any daminette fic, im doomed

Silence.

‘’Marinette.’’

‘’Maman.’’

The pair severed their eye contact at the sound of someone stumbling down the stairs.

Marinette raised her gaze towards her father’s disheveled state. She quirked a brow in confusion as he groaned fruitlessly while he cradled his stomach.

‘’Tom? Honey, what’s wrong?’’ Sabine inquired worriedly; any tension from the confrontation dissipated.

Marinette dug into her school bag and pulled out a water bottle. She shuffled over to where he was leaning on the wall.

‘’Here, Papa.’’ Tom reached over and weakly took the bottle from his daughter’s grasp. He quickly downed the water, leaving his wife frowning slightly and his daughter fidgeting.

‘’Thank you, sweetie!’’ Tom praised hoarsely.

His daughter nodded wearily and nudged him towards Sabine’s direction. Oh. He supposed he should explain why he woke up nearly- what time was it? Ah, eight o’clock- 4 hours late.

Sabine stared expectantly at him and he deadpanned.

‘’I’m sick,’’ he started.

‘’Really? I haven’t noticed, truly.’’ his wife retorted with no real bite.

He chuckled and continued, ‘’I have a stomach bug or something of the sorts. One of Marinette’s friends-’’ Marinette perked up at that. ‘’- stopped by at the bakery yesterday afternoon and dropped off some goodies.’’ He cut himself short with a coughing fit, Marinette patted his back repeatedly.‘’They said something about wanting ‘The Best Baker in Paris’s opinion’. How could I say no to that?’’

Marinette’s poker face slid to her signature Thinking Face™ on as she listened intently to his explanation. ‘’Papa,’’ she said slowly. ‘’- what’d they look like?’’

Sabine side eyed her questioningly.

He scratched his beard in thought, trying to recall the previous day’s events.

It was like any other day at the bakery. Customers came and went. New faces, recurring ones. Oh! And Mr. Ramier’s usual at exactly twelve-fifteen PM. Marinette came home for lunch instead of staying at school; weirdly enough. She used to stay at the cafeteria with her friends. His daughter _always_ was the social butterfly. What could’ve changed?

Back to his original train of thought; after Marinette took her plate to eat lunch upstairs in her room, someone else entered the bakery. A girl who seemed to be about Marinette’s age. Tall, sausage-like hair, and an unruly amount of orange in her attire (Marintte’s fashion rants must be rubbing off on him).

The girl pranced over to the counter with a box in her dainty hands.

He beamed down at her, ‘’What can I get for you, sweetie?’’ he asked from behind the register.

She grinned at him and placed the box down on the counter. Up to closer inspection, he could make out the contents of the box. It seemed to be filled with macarons and pain au chocolats. He furrowed his brows in confusion.

The girl took notice of his silent question.‘’They’re treats! You see, my madre isn’t around much due to her being a like, _super_ duper important diplomat, so I’ve taken a liking to baking! I just wanted the Best Baker in Paris’s opinion on them.’’ was said sweetly.

Tom nodded slowly. ‘’I see. Have we met before? Or a name I can put on that face of yours?’’

Look, Tom wasn’t an idiot. You don’t just accept food from a _complete stranger_ no matter the amount of flattery taken place.

She paused. ‘’I don’t believe we have! I’m Lila, Lila Rossi. I have Madame Bustier with Marinette.’’

He blinked, before a face-splitting grin took over his features.

‘’Well, why didn’t you say that in the first place? Any friend of my daughter is an ally at the bakery!’’

‘’We’re not frien-’’

‘’Now! What’d you say about these pastries? Something about wanting my personal opinion on them?’’ He interrupted, practically vibrating in place.

A flash of-irritation? past by her features before settling on content. Huh, must’ve been a trick of the light.

Lila opened the box on the counter, ‘’Yeah! I got an assortment of macarons and some chocolate croissants I made this morning before school!’’ she gushed.

Tom unfastened his apron and placed it on the counter, reaching for a macaron. It was a sickly green color, but hey, Tom knew not to judge the outer shell of a treat. The inside is what counts after all!

He plopped the treat in his mouth as Lila watched gleefully.

‘’The uh..’’ Tom started between mouthfuls, ‘’...flavor could use some work, kiddo.’’

In reality, the macaron was a monstrosity to man-kind. He couldn’t understand how you could mess up that badly. But! It was a perfect learning opportunity for the young girl and damn if he wasn’t going to give her proper tips.

Lila nodded vehemently as he continued to chew on her hell-sent creation.

‘’Yeah, no, I totally get that. I was struggling a bit since my ingredients were limited.’’ She pitched in solemnly.

‘’Well, the outer shell is great! It’s not too hard or too soft, just how we make it here at the bakery, ’’ He quickly added to lighten the mood.

‘’What kind of macaron was that, by the way?’’ Listen, that’s coming from a baker. Even _he_ couldn’t decipher whatever it was.

Lila looked him dead in the eyes, ‘’Mint.’’

Oh.

That was not mint. Tom knew mint, he practically breathed it. A glare was directed at the offending box.

He darted his eyes back to her and opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by the girl.

‘’Wow! Well would you look at the time!’’ Lila made a gesture towards the clock hung on the wall. ‘’I gotta get back to class, sorry Mr. Dupain!’’ She sped out the front door, just as Marinette was stumbling down the stairs with a plate in hand.

‘’Who was that?’’ She muffled out with a cookie lodged into her mouth.

‘’One of your friends from school!’’ He answered, his nausea being long forgotten at the sight of his lovely daughter.

The cookie fell from her mouth.

‘’One of my frie-?’’ She was cut off by a blaring alarm from her phone. The sound startling her so bad she tripped over her own two feet.

Tom shot out his hands to steady her by the shoulders, as she fumbled for her phone.

Marinette’s eyes widened as she looked at her screen. Tom assumed it was one of her contingency alarms, for the times she was inevitably late. It looked to be this was the 5 minute mark alarm.

‘’Gah, Papa I’m late! I’m late! I gotta get to school!’’ she blubbered out.

He chuckled fondly at her antics and gently took the plate from her surprisingly strong _ **iron grip**_. Christ, those flour bags are doing a number on her arms.

‘’Have a good rest of the day at school, sweetie!’’ Tom exclaimed as he ruffled her hair.

She went on her tippy toes and kissed his cheek before racing to the bakery door.

‘’Love you Papa! Maman!’’ she hollered.

‘’We love you too!’’ they parroted. Sabine being at the back of the bakery, of course.

And okay, after Marinette ran off to school, his nausea may have come back at full force but, but! Who was he to judge an innocent girl’s baking skills? He’s sure nothing was intentional!

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

‘’Tha-that deceiving witch!’’ she barked out, fists clenched at her sides.

‘’Marinette!’’ her mother reprimanded, arms crossed.

‘’Huh?’’ Tom was confused. Very confused.

‘’No, maman! She totally duped him! Lila hates baking, and anything else that’ll get messy quick. Why would she come to this bakery of all places? Where her apparent ’bully’ lives?’’ His daughter seethed. _Seethed_! He’s never seen Marinette that angry.

Bile made its way up his throat.

He was always told to be wary and conscious- as a **child**. Tom was an adult now dammit, nowhere in his personal safety handbook does it say to avoid young schoolgirls for the risk of being a target of...

their evil...tendencies?

He didn’t know. He didn’t _want_ to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao im gonna add actual plot after i fixup this arc :)) ALSO sorry to the people i promised sabine sugar to,,, tbfh it'll just be family sugar.


End file.
